As a lifelong cyclist who rides on Route 1 every day, I find the controversy over the sidewalk bump-out near St. Louis Street in Dewey rather curious. I welcome the concern for the safety of cyclists, but in my opinion the worry over this particular spot is misplaced. I find the bump-out to be well marked and easy to pass. I think DelDOT did a good job threading the needle between two competing goals: ADA compliance and bike safety.
If folks are truly worried about the safety of cyclists who are forced into the travel lanes of Route 1, there are larger issues to address. At the top of the list are delivery trucks which completely block the bike lane for long distances and long periods of time. They should be moved to the side streets. Next on the list are pedestrians (often inebriated) who are forced to walk in the street because Dewey’s sidewalks are comically unnavigable. That may be why we don’t see many wheelchairs in Dewey.
Finally, I must point out an irony in this debate. The safety concerns blamed on the bump-out included its threat to scooters. Sharing the bike lane with motor scooters is one of the main threats to us cyclists. They are going much faster than the bicycle, rarely signal that they are passing, and often don’t yield the 3-foot clearance as required by Delaware law. As a motor vehicle, why aren’t they in the travel lanes?
I have 50 years of experience biking regularly all over this country and am comfortable doing so. But ever since several years ago when one of our foreign visitors while riding her bike was hit from behind by a scooter, and later died from her injuries, I have been terrified by scooters. Cyclists would happily trade an occasional ADA compliant bump-out in exchange for moving scooters out of bike lanes.
Bruce Kauffman
Lewes
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